*Thud.*

The *Orc Brawler* stomped its foot on the ground.

“Chiiiiik!”

*Clang!*

My sword clashed with the orc's steel gauntlets.

“Ugh!”

I managed to block the powerful punch from the *Orc Brawler*, but the force behind those iron fists was immense.

My stance wavered for a moment.

“Hng!”

I quickly rolled to my right, barely dodging the follow-up attack from the orc’s left side.

“What… what was that?”

It was the first time that the *Block* skill from the swordsman class had been disrupted by a monster’s attack.

Though I wasn’t hit hard thanks to a successful block, the *Orc Brawler’s* punch didn’t follow the same rules as the other monsters I had fought. 

My usual strategy—block the attack and immediately counter with slashes and thrusts to chip away at the monster’s HP—was no longer effective.

For the first time, my solid victory formula as a swordsman had been broken.

I didn’t have time to think, as the *Orc Brawler* charged at me again.

*Clang!*

This time, my block wasn’t disrupted. I smoothly followed up with a thrust, my blade darting forward.

*Splurt!*

Green blood spurted from a small wound on the *Orc Brawler’s* torso. It was a successful hit.

“Ssssk.”

The *Orc Brawler* stepped back, readjusting its stance and throwing a few more punches.

*Clang, clang, stab!*

I calmly blocked each attack and used my single-target thrust skill to slowly drain the orc's HP.

The *Orc Brawler* clenched its fists, preparing for another attack.

I narrowed my eyes.

It was the same technique it used at the start of the fight—the powerful punch combo.

Blocking it directly would break my defense and leave me vulnerable to the follow-up attack.

[Backstep Evasion]
[Quickly leap 8 meters backward to evade a frontal attack (Invulnerable while casting)]
[Cooldown: 8 seconds]

I had unlocked the *Backstep Evasion* skill upon reaching level 15.

This was clearly meant to be used against attacks that couldn’t be blocked by normal means.

*Vwoom!*

*Fwoosh!*

The *Orc Brawler’s* punch hit nothing but air.

Using *Backstep Evasion*, I swiftly put distance between us.

“Oh.”

So this is what it was for.

If my agility were higher, I could probably make similar movements without using the skill, but the invulnerability during the cast was something that pure speed couldn’t replicate.

This skill was key for clearing elite dungeons where each hit could deal near-lethal damage.

Now I understood why it was unlocked at level 15.

I smiled faintly.

It didn’t seem like it would take me too long to clear the first boss after all.

Having grasped the general pattern of the *Orc Brawler’s* attacks, I continued blocking its moves while chipping away at its HP.

[First Boss]
[Level 16 *Orc Brawler*]
[HP 8214/10500]

About five minutes had passed since the battle began.

I hadn’t dealt as much damage as I would’ve liked, but since I hadn’t taken any hits, I was confident I could eventually clear the boss without too much trouble.

With rhythmic movements, I blocked the orc’s attacks and countered with thrusts, dodging its heavier strikes.

Finally, the *Orc Brawler’s* HP dropped below 80%.

Nothing seemed to change.

I blocked its lighter attacks and responded with my own, as usual.

But then, for a brief moment, it seemed like the orc’s eyes flashed.

A chill ran down my spine.

My instincts screamed that the next thrust was dangerous.

But it was too late to stop the skill that had already been activated.

*Clang!*

The *Orc Brawler* deftly deflected my thrust with a smooth movement of its gauntlets.

It was the first time the boss had changed its attack pattern.

And then—

*Thud!*

“Gah!?”

The orc’s gauntleted fist slammed into my abdomen with brutal force.

I was sent flying, rolling several times before crashing into the wall.

*Cough, cough!*

The world spun around me.

What… just happened?

Before I could even comprehend the situation, the *Orc Brawler* charged at me again.

“H-Hng!”

*Roll.*

*Crash!*

I rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the orc’s ground slam. Its gauntlet left a deep dent in the cave floor.

[Drizzle Rain]
[Swordsman]
[Level 15 (1.17%)]
[HP: 114/617]

Barely able to catch my breath, I checked my remaining HP and felt a surge of panic.

Just one hit.

One hit had taken 80% of my HP.

“Ah, ahh!”

I desperately rolled away, avoiding the orc’s relentless attacks.

After drinking three potions in quick succession and taking a brief rest, my HP was fully restored.

Still sitting on the ground, I gently rubbed my stomach where the orc had hit me.

The pain was gone now that my HP was back to full, but at the time, it had hurt so much I couldn’t breathe.

It must’ve been due to the high synchronization rate.

But it was fine.

Back when I was the hero of Astra, I had suffered worse injuries than this.

If it hadn’t been for the saintess healing me, I probably would’ve died many times over.

This was nothing in comparison.

Standing up, I shouted confidently.

“The Hero Rain has resurrected!”

Then, I glanced over at the spot where the *Orc Brawler* was waiting.

[First Boss]
[Level 16 *Orc Brawler*]
[HP 10500/10500]

It seemed that if I retreated from battle, the boss’s HP would reset.

The conditions were the same.

Both the orc and I had recovered, but now I had learned its patterns.

It was time for the second attempt.

Alright, this time, I’m going to clear it!

After four more battles and retreats, I finally figured out the pattern behind the *Orc Brawler*’s ability to deflect my thrusts.

It was the *Counter* skill.

Just like the *Brawler* class players in *Astra Online* could use this *Counter* skill, the *Orc Brawler* could do the same.

The *Orc Brawler*’s *Counter* pattern activated once its HP fell below 80%, and it required precise timing and positioning to identify.

The solution was simple.

When the *Orc Brawler* got into its counter stance, all I had to do was stop attacking.

In other words, a *damage cut*.

As long as I refrained from attacking while the counter was active, the *Orc Brawler* would quickly return to its regular attack pattern.

*Clang, clang!*

I blocked, dodged, and thrust with precision.

Now that I understood the pattern, the *Orc Brawler* was no longer a threat.

“Hehehe, die already!”

[First Boss]
[Level 16 *Orc Brawler*]
[HP 5301/10500]

I had already whittled down half of its HP.

If I repeated the same strategy for the same amount of time, the first boss would fall.

Visions of the grand rewards awaiting me danced before my eyes.

Accessories, swords, pretty outfits, and of course—chicken!

“Hehe! Hehehe!”

It was a good thing no one else could see me gleefully stabbing the boss while grinning like an idiot.

That’s the beauty of solo play, right?

But, of course, elite dungeon bosses weren’t that easy.

“Krshk!”

As the *Orc Brawler’s* HP dropped below half, new monsters emerged from the tunnels on both sides of the battlefield.

[Level 15 *Orc Elite Soldier*]
[HP 1000/1000]

And there were two of them!

*Clang, clang!*

Things quickly got chaotic.

Amid the *Orc Brawler’s* powerful attacks, the spears of the *Orc Elite Soldiers* kept jabbing at me from both sides.

If this were a party play situation, there would be someone assigned to handle the adds.

But I had to deal with everything on my own.

‘What do you do when monsters rush you in solo combat?’

‘Simple. You dodge, block, and slash them all.’

‘What if they’re not easy to take down?’

‘Hmm. Well, I guess you’d just have to fight more until you get used to it, right?’

‘Hah! If you had a body as tough as a dwarf’s, you could withstand most attacks with your bare skin!’

‘Haha, dwarves have their advantages, sure. But don’t try that, Rain.’

‘Why worry about fighting alone when you’ve got companions? Rain, I’ll always have your back, so don’t worry about that.’

I suddenly recalled a conversation I’d had with my companions from my days as a hero.

I couldn’t help but smile in the middle of this hectic battle.

Seriously, none of them were any help.

I was Rain.

The Hero of Astra.

The hero who had bravely fought against countless demon armies.

I tapped into my battle instincts from those days.

*Vwoosh!*

I dodged the *Orc Brawler’s* punch using *Backstep Evasion*.

The distance opened, and the *Orc Brawler* immediately charged forward again.

By maintaining just the right distance to prevent the *Orc Brawler*’s charging attack from triggering, I blocked the elite soldiers' spear thrusts and slashed with a sweeping attack to deal with the adds.

First, I needed to take out the elite soldiers. Once the adds were gone, I could focus solely on the boss again.

*Sslash!*

“Kiieeek!”

By avoiding a direct confrontation with the *Orc Brawler* and focusing on the elite soldiers, I managed to kill them off one by one.

The first boss’s HP hadn’t dropped much in the meantime.

But now that it was a one-on-one fight again, there was no problem.

I smiled and caught my breath.

“Alright. It’ll be easy from here.”

However, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as I’d hoped.

More *Orc Elite Soldiers* spawned every time the boss’s HP hit 40%, 30%, and 20%.

Each time they appeared, I groaned in frustration.

Only after clearing out the last wave of elite soldiers did I finally manage to bring down the *Orc Brawler*.

*Boom.*

With a heavy thud, the *Orc Brawler* collapsed to the ground, and I collapsed right along with it.

“Haaah…”

I was utterly drained.

Still, I smiled faintly and raised my hand in a victory pose.

“First boss clear!”